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WORLD OF BIRDS
WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
NEWSLETTER NO. 285 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006
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WHERE FOOLS RUSH IN
(FROM A 1979 NEWSLETTER)
My friends think that I am a stark raving lunatic. To have slaved for five years so far in a fight against all the odds and the local authorities in particular, to not having a secure personal income, struggling to pay the monthly rentals, living in a home that has not seen any improvements in years, and not a singly new piece of clothing bought during the same period. And still no end in sight.
Walter, you are a fool, they say. Why don’t you get out of this mess while you still can? What are you carrying on for? Come on, be realistic, you are not a youngster any more. Why don’t you get yourself a good job? In the last five years you could have earned yourself a fortune. After all you have good qualifications.
But what do you do and keep on doing? You haven’t had a single free weekend or a holiday. You haven’t even been able to sleep late on a rainy Sunday or on any other morning. Look at your borrowed car – thirteen years old! Look at the people around you and compare the standard of living. What’s wrong with you? They ask.
Others say that if I had concentrated on the breeding of exotic birds, birds for which there is a ready market and which was my original intention in the first place, I would be well into the money by now with much less work involved, less staff required, and generally less expenses.
What do I do instead? I get stuck with all those sick and injured wild birds which clutter the aviaries, demand much time and labour at high cost and no return. I addition there is the endless struggle with the authorities who want to close the place down, instead of acknowledging that I am doing the job they should have been doing themselves in the first place. When will I ever come to my senses and face the truth?
The thing that hurts most is the fact that they are right. What answers can I give and with what words can I justify the apparently futile caring for wildlife? Work, work, work from early morning till late at night which allows no private life and leaves no room for old friends who have abandoned me as a lost cause.
Still. I shall not give up. Yes, I believe in a better future. I believe in eventual official acknowledgement. I believe that the public will in future support the World of Birds to the extent that it will become self-supporting. I believe that there must be somebody who is prepared to care for birds and animals in need, even if that someone has to be me.
Above all, with the support that new friends have given to carry this far, how could I not persist in something that has proven to so essential. Can there still be a choice?
WHAT HAS CHANGED?
Now in the year 2006, 27 years later, obviously there have been changes, mostly for the better. I work reasonably normal hours, have a family with children and, basically, a life. A good life.
The cars, business and private, are still mostly over ten years old. The home is bonded to the benefits of World of Birds. Ongoing we keep on working with borrowed money, while the current monthly R450 000 is hardly ever covered by the gate entrance fees.
The Bird Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is a most amazing creation and has become a prominent Cape Town landmark and a South African Heritage Site.
Was the effort and struggle worthwhile? Yes, of course. Will it remain so? We live in hope.
VILLA-AL-LA BABOON
By Claire Louw
Regular visitors to World of Birds will be acquainted with Jabu and Ticky our Yellow Baboons. We have recently been working on a brand new abode for this energetic couple. During September 2006, the finishing touches were done to the 2 bed, 1 open-plan living area and 1 large bath. Then came the stressful task of capturing and moving the “new home owners”.
The plan was to put our ‘passive capture’ into action, where no physical stress is put on the animals. We hoped to place a large trap against their sleeping shelter trap door and coax the nervous pair into the trap with yummy marshmallows. This junk food was tempting, but not enough to get into the nasty wire box. We played this ‘passive capture’ game for over an hour – didn’t work!!
Plan B was thought up quickly and put into action. Ketamine. Dr Stevens, as usual, was our saviour. One phone call and he is always willing to help. Ten minutes later we were armed and dangerous. Jabu got a swift jab in the bottom by Cathy. Five minutes later he was staggering about like a bar-fly who had one too many. Unfortunately, he didn’t go down completely, but it was enough to restrain him, pop him into a trap and carry him over the threshold of his new home. He relaxed in the master bedroom till his lady joined him. Ticky, by now was wise to our plans. The pointy, juice filled syringe was going nowhere near her petite derrière, and the marshmallows by now were over-rated.
Plan C – The trap was placed in the sleeping shelter against the trap door, then my very brave husband, sorry, I mean BOSS, Hendrik, went in with the ‘savage beast’ that sat cowering near the trap. One look at the net Hendrik was yielding was all the coaxing needed and she hopped in. Hey presto! Two down, none to go.
Ticky was let into the second bedroom next to her hung-over man. When Jabu was more stable, they were let out to explore the rest of their home.
We expected them to be a bit apprehensive, but were pleasantly surprised by their bold and cocky attitude. Both strutted out, plucking at the oats that had been planted, testing the perches installed and exploring their new pool.
We were all very proud of this new addition to the park. From the staff who designed the enclosure to the poor souls who slaved away building it, it was so worth it!
So few of our big primate enclosures were originally designed for the animals in them. Most were housed as necessity arose. As for Jabu and Ticky, their home now was specially made for them and we will be using this design to improve all of our big primate enclosures. They deserve the best we can give them. All we need is the finances to continue.
The Patas monkeys were next on the list, as Chico, our adult male managed to break out through his wire and roam through the park. He and his wife, Little-Lyn, have also now been moved to their large new pen next to the Tortoise Sanctuary. This, along with the new Yellow Baboon enclosure is one of the best achievements in the park over this last year.
Please come and enjoy them!
NEW TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Talking to our long time Member Brian Hollman of Table View the other day, he related how he observed a crow taking a small bird (could have been a sparrow or a wagtail) about 5m up in mid air, much to the distress of the other small birds in the vicinity.
Now that’s a new crow skill, probably never heard of or seen before, and always reserved for raptors like falcons and hawks. Was it simply an opportunistic once–off, or are we faced with additional methods of losing our songbirds to crows? Let’s hope not.
ESTIMATED AND ACTUAL COSTS
When Eric Steadman sponsored the new Crocodile Enclosure for R25 000, we thought that a long-standing ambition was reaching finality. The reality, as always, was quite different, especially since the originally intended location is still under dispute, being close to the road, and the Council not responding to our queries.
The new location was partly occupied by the Patas Monkey Enclosure, which we always considered to be too small for these active animals. Their new large pen made us lose one month in anticipated construction time for the crocodiles, and cost us an unbudgeted for amount of R40 000.
Now we had gained extra space with the Patas cage broken down. The excavation for the crocodile pond needed a recommended depth of 2m, necessary to keep the crocodiles at tolerable water temperature during winter. Hundreds of wheelbarrows of soil had to be carted, tons of gravel, sand and cement had to be bought, collected, and mixed, and a team of six labourers had to be hired for two weeks to join our own crew.
To us it was a giant undertaking, seeing that the locality did not allow for earth working machinery to reach the site. And the cost? Apart from the original donation that started the ball rolling, we are short of about R5000, and we are astonished and proud that we have almost managed to stick to the estimated target, considering the magnitude (to us) of the project.
Investing in Crocodiles
Burkhardt and Hannelore Otto, our good friends from Berlin, are the proprietors of an investment company in Germany. Every year at the end of November they donate R10 000 to the World of Birds, and through this we have dedicated the Waterfall Aviary to their name.
What Burkhardt and Hannelore did not know was the fact that they had just invested their annual contribution into CROCODILES!
The new Crocodile Interactive Display (we are planning to combine the reptiles with birdlife and possibly other animals) was nearing completion, and four 1.6m Nile Crocodiles had been ordered at the cost of R10 000.
Our German friends will be pleased to see their plaque of acknowledgement in the new enclosure when they come to visit in March next year, and we are happy that the problem of paying for the reptiles was so easily resolved.
ROCK MONITORS NEXT TO CROCODILES
A glass-fronted section which was part of the Patas Monkey Enclosure, next to the crocodiles, has become the new home for our pair of Rock Monitors (Leguans). It makes sense to have these giant lizards next to the crocs, and whereas the top-end section of the Park always seemed to lack some of the excitement, it is now becoming an essential ‘must see’, and we can only feel sorry for the visitors who think they can be in and out of the Park within one, two, or three hours.
Those who know or are prepared know that they are getting value for money. A rich experience like a visit to the World of Birds costs less than a light lunchtime meal in a restaurant. Tomorrow you’ll be hungry again, but a visit to the World of Birds can linger in the heart and mind for a lifetime.
We are still brazen enough to advertise a ‘Money Back Guarantee’ if the visit does not meet with the expectation. No one has yet claimed their money back, in fact everybody remarks that they got much more than what they had bargained for.
FAMOUS NAMES IN CONSERVATION
This is not in defence of bad zoos or animal menageries, which should be a memory of the distant past. It is in praise of the ever increasing number of individuals in the zoo business who have made a remarkable difference in the world through their full dedication to the preservation of wildlife and, coincidentally, have made a far greater contribution to wildlife conservation than most ‘conservationists’ ever will.
This came to mind when Australian zoo director and showman Steve Irwin died during the production of a documentary, being fatally wounded by a stingray. As a national celebrity he was afforded what almost amounted to a state memorial service, which was televised and watched by millions of Australian and New Zealand fans.
This must have been a heavy blow to anti-zoo lobbyists, as is the fact that 600 million people visit zoos worldwide every year. There obviously must be a need to be connected to wildlife in a world where nature is shrinking to the point where personal connection with wildlife in nature has become an unaffordable luxury to most people.
What famous conservationists come to mind, except for the Irwins, Durrells, Hagenbecks and others, mostly connected to well-known zoological institutions? Nowadays it is the well known zoos which initiate and support wildlife conservation in Africa, South America and in South East Asia in the quest to conserve last remaining habitats, and also prevent extinction by preserving and breeding critically endangered wildlife in their own institutions.
This is a giant step ahead of the official and (often self) appointed ‘conservationists’ who make a living from studying and counting and publishing results of the tragedy unfolding, mostly without answers and solutions, except for asking for more funding.
MORE ON CASSOWARIES
Carol Roehm of Fishhoek who has adopted one of our Double-wattled Cassowaries for many years is also a member of the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. She told them about our five birds (they have only one), and they kindly sent her some interesting information on cassowaries which Carol passed on to us, although, she says, we may dispute the indicated life span in captivity.
Females are a little larger than males and more brightly coloured with higher casques. They have three toes on each foot, with the inner-most toe acting as a weapon. Feathers are short with shafts and after-shafts. Rudimentary wings. Specialised flight feathers are modified to quills used in fighting and defence. Legs are short and thick. Cassowaries are flightless.
They inhabit the tropical rain forests, preferably stream banks and clearings of Northern Australia, New Guinea, and surrounding islands. They form pair bonds only in the breeding season. Contact between birds outside of the breeding season results in fights!
The life span in the wild, apparently, is unknown. In captivity, the report says, the life span is 10 years which is totally wrong. Some of our birds are already much older than that, and we would estimate a life span of well beyond thirty or forty years for birds which probably only start breeding at 4 to 6 years.
The unusual part is that the female lays 4 to 8 very large pale green eggs, which are then incubated by the male for about two months, while the female takes no interest in the hatching and caring of the precocial chicks which remain under dad’s care for about one year.
Cassowaries are common in the wild where habitat remains undisturbed. They are the largest land animals in New Guinea. They feed mainly on fallen fruit, but also on insects, invertebrates, fungi, dead birds, and mammals. They swim well. They are more likely to be heard than seen, being very shy, but also fiercely aggressive and dangerous if cornered, using their feet to inflict serious damage.
They are kept in captivity by the people of New Guinea, who use the birds’ plumes for headdresses and quills for nose decorations. Cassowaries are also eaten as part of a feast.
A Letter to World of Birds…
Dear Jenny and Alf (Admin.)
Thank you for organising for us to go to the World of Birds. We enjoyed everything there for five hours! My brother and I loved the Monkey Jungle and we enjoyed every bit of it there! We love the squirrel monkeys and they are so CUTE! I wish to have one at home. My father is crazy about the owls and he loves them. What beautiful birds and animals you have there! They are part of God’s creation! My brother liked the ostrich. We hope to see you again.
Love from Jessica, James, June and Christopher.
Jessica (age 9) thought of giving us some poems and drawings to share with the office, with staff, and with visitors.
THE UMBRELLA BIRD
There is one bird I find absurd:
He is the dumb umbrella bird.
He’s got a crest and running ruff
And thinks he’s made of stunning stuff.
Within his jungle discotheque
He dances till he is a wreck.
The women scoff at his display;
Yet he still dances everyday.
In sunshine, darkness, wind or rain,
Umbrella birds will dance in vain.
They dance for what they think they’ll get,
But, females think that they’re all wet.
THE OWL
Here is a bird of too few words,
Who never hoots for fun.
He finds the hoots of birds absurd,
And so he sticks to one.
The hoot and holler in the wood
Is din that hardly suits
The owl; and even though he could,
He doesn’t give two hoots.
KLIPSPRINGER AND CARACAL - EITHER OR
There was misguided elation at Kirstenbosch over the sighting of a caracal (lynx/rooikat) as a benefit of having banned dogs. Another one was sitting brazenly in the grounds of a smallholding, also adjoining Table Mountain National Park, eyeing the chickens.
We have our own story to tell, having lost four valuable wallabies to a caracal, and the neighbours mysteriously missing their cats.
Caracals, as exquisitely beautiful as they may be are bad news for cats and small dogs, together with jackals the worst terrorists for stock farmers and, I believe, for the (misguidedly?) forced reintroduction of Klipspringer on Table Mountain.
That all is not well on the mountain range is demonstrated by the disappearance of Black Eagles, four to five pairs some years ago, and now only one pair left at Silvermine. Could the reason be the yearly devastating fires, and with them, the seemingly very drastic decline of rock rabbits (dassies), the main food for the eagles?
There is no doubt that caracals are increasing, and the imperative question must be the food supply that sustains them. For animals their size, lizards, geckos, mice and small birds are just snacks, francolins and dassies are a fair-sized meal, while a klipspringer would be equal to a small sheep.
To conduct a study would be extremely difficult, but essential to assessing the impact of caracal on the limited wildlife on the Table Mountain range. It is probably equally almost impossible to monitor the survival or success rate of introduced klipspringer on the mountain. It may well prove that caracal and klipspringer are not compatible.
We have not yet heard about a progress report of the klipspringer reintroduction, which was conditional to the elimination of Himalayan tahr. Let’s hear about it.
UNUSUAL ANIMAL FRIENDSHIPS
What makes an animal bond with a different class of animal may never rationally be explained, and what is the magnetism of a large tortoise, as demonstrated by the young Kenyan hippo to find motherly support, a story that made world news? At the World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary we have the story of Hendrik the Pelican who also, for a period of time, attached itself to a large mountain tortoise.
Hendrik, actually a female, was rescued in Namibia after being blown off a breeding platform by high wind near Walvis Bay, and hand-reared by a kind vet. She was trusting and tame, and eventually was offered to the Wildlife Sanctuary in Cape Town, to find a permanent home.
It did not take long for the pelican to seek friendship with one of the mountain tortoises, lying as close to the reptile as she could when it was resting time, and following along when there was movement. This carried on for a few weeks, until she suddenly ‘fell in love’ with the owner of the rapidly developing sanctuary. He fed her and talked to her, and soon she became seriously smitten. Digging holes for plants to her meant nesting, and every leaf or root given were delicately arranged below her feet. She hopped into the car for a drive when the opportunity was offered, and she also quickly learned to catch and accurately throw back a tennis ball.
The Smurf, an African Penguin, arrived at the sanctuary. He immediately fell in love with the pelican, and an ugly love triangle developed. While the pelican became a nuisance to the point where she would watch every move the busy manager made not to lose touch and sight, she tried to ignore the penguin’s advances as much as she could, but to no avail. The penguin would not take NO for an answer.
At the same time the penguin absolutely detested the sight of ‘the boss’, resented the pelican’s devotion to him, and violently tried to keep him at distance with sharp bites and pecks, persistently following wherever the pelican walked, and snuggling up to her, whether she liked it or not.
The unstable relationships came to an end when more pelicans and penguins had to be accommodated at the sanctuary.
In a wildlife sanctuary situation where many birds and animals are thrown together by accident and fate, the most unusual friendships can develop. After all, do not humans also ‘fall in love’ from time to time with their pet animal companions and become inseparable?
Selective Bird Fascination
What makes it ‘legal’ to shoot doves and pigeons, and illegal to shoot a falcon or a hawk or an eagle? It is a hypocritical man-made distinction. The one is permitted for recreation and fun, the other will land you in court.
An article in a farmers’ magazine describes the recreational shooting of doves by a grandfather and grandchild, already having killed 20 birds, when a sparrowhawk scattered the remainder of the flock and spoiled the fun.
I am horrified by selective and self-styled nature lovers and conservationists who have a sick fascination for birds of prey, but proudly give their true nature away by the recreational destructive shooting of as many doves as they can, for no other reason than having target practice fun.
Life for life, a dove’s life is as important to the owner of this life as is the life of a raptor, or the hunter’s.
If you respect life, and have a fascination for raptors, you should realise that what you are killing for fun is taking food away from the raptor. While there is plenty of prey, raptors will thrive. Take this food source away, raptors will decline accordingly. I thought this principle was known amongst conservationists and respected.
Hypocrites will not have the intellect to understand this. To teach children and grandchildren such immoral unnecessary slaughter is sinning against God and His creation.
IN THE NAME OF RALPH
World of Birds member Veronica Macklin thanks for the July/August Newsletter and writes:
“I would like to take this opportunity – to be whimsical, perhaps – but to make my donation in the name of Ralph to all the wonderful birds you assist, and I love the red-wing starlings , and am very fond of the Rock Pigeons, Egyptian Geese and ‘normal’ pigeons. You find people criticising them - ‘flying rats!’ and yes, Egyptian Geese can make a mess on golf courses and pigeons on buildings which offer good nesting spots, but creatures who live in glass houses should not throw stones, for no living creature is more abundant and destructive than humans.
I believe you know that you did give Ralph quality life for many years after he would not have enjoyed it in the wild – a bird’s eyes and feathers tell one. I am sorry I never saw Ralph, but I communicated your very moving article on him, and his death to someone who did see him, and who then told me that he ‘was amazing, as he sat in such a way he looked fine and he had no wire enclosure and one wondered why he didn’t fly away, and then he turned around and one saw why, and beside one’s initial shock and pity, one saw that he had a very good life there, and was still dignified and above it all(as eagles are).’
So, an eagle is a striking example amongst all the birds who too need and deserve their dedicated champions, undoubtedly more than ever in our increasing ‘civilization’. Take the ‘mere’, ‘simple’ red-wing starlings – (I have been told over the past decade that they are red-wing starlings, that they are Indian Myna birds, that they are red-wing starlings, that they are Indian Myna birds until I am confused)- they are delightful, friendly characters who add charm to the city – where I retired with a large garden for large aviary potential I would be sorely tempted to (illegally perhaps) offer some a good home with top grade fruit to keep them happy.
And I am, I hope, allowed my personal sentiment that there is nothing wrong with a disagreeing, angry witness rather favouring punching any callous ‘klitsing’ killer of these lovely creatures who really do no harm, but also seek to live in this world they share with us.
A book could be written debating ‘over-population’, but one original premise will remain true; that you are so right in your indicated appreciation that the harming of a small, undervalued animal is the first step towards the devaluing of all life, and where the bully can begin to evolve into something even worse.
Frankly, I would go so far as to say – for I do believe – finding pleasure in the suffering , or pointless destruction of an animal of any type, disqualifies one as a full human and is a black blot upon the soul.
Hence, those who make a calling of nurturing them, are their angels, and I cannot think of many better things to be. We badly need to value all birds and animals, as humans we owe them consideration and care; keep communicating that.”
FREEDOM IS WHERE THE HOME IS
In the olden days, going back 27 years, we had two well-loved and popularly-known Black Alsatian dogs, ‘Dagga’ and her daughter ‘Afro’. Dagga had acquired a taste for the chicken heads we fed to our birds of prey. She could not understand why such delicacies should be withheld from her, while the owls were favoured with more than they could eat. Thus reasoning she ripped into the owls’ aviary to consume all the surplus food which was lying around for the late night second helping.
What Dagga did not consider was that she had left a large hole in the wire, and in the morning two owls were missing. One was sitting high up in a pine tree, the other one was gone.
By midday one of the free owls was perched on the aviary, trying to get back in, accompanied by encouraging hoo-hooing from the other twelve inside. We simply picked up the bird and put it back into its home, much to its great relief. In the late afternoon there was another hoo-hoo commotion coming from the owls. The other missing one had returned to be let inside for the regular evening meal. And thus, peace was restored again to the troubled area.
INCUBATION TEMPERATURE RESEARCH NEEDED
In the process of natural evolution it is known that birds evolved from reptiles. It is also known that a very slight difference in incubation temperature of crocodile eggs will result in either all male or all female offspring.
Now there is a hair-brained suggestion, but here goes.
Cape Town last year had experienced an unusually long and warm summer. Whereas normally peafowl (and pheasants) produce more male than female chicks, World of Birds has two peahens with two and six chicks respectively, all female. The same at Adventure Farm in Philippi with all five chicks female as well.
This could be purely coincidental. On the other hand, would it warrant experimenting with very slightly increased or decreased artificial incubation temperatures to establish a link.
One would reasonably expect the poultry industry to have experimented in this field. Would anyone have an answer?
ONE OF MANY
This is just one of the many unrealistic demands we have to contend with when we accept injured wild birds for the expected free service.
A Kelp Gull was brought in with one wing amputated. The woman had it for half an hour, cried all the way in the car to us, and then demanded to see where it was going to be kept and where it was going to be released.
We explained why it couldn’t be released back into the wild, so, the next demand was that it had to be ‘released’ into one of our large open pens to give the bird a sense of freedom and, in addition, the lady wanted to be there to witness the ‘release’.
Again, we had to explain that there would be no chance for the gull to be cared for in an open enclosure as all food would be snatched by the free-roaming ibises. And then we had to be drastic in telling her that either she left this new liability to our responsibility and care, or take it somewhere else.
What arrogance and cheek, and what ignorant understanding of the perceived need for freedom, when there could be none left for a gull with only one wing. This is the nonsense we often have to tolerate from misguided individuals who readily call on our expertise and free service. Instead of realistically accepting that yet another permanently injured bird had to be doctored, cared for, and accommodated and fed by us for the rest of its life, they make demands. There are times when our patience with such do-gooders is tested to the limit.
MISGUIDED CLAM FESTIVAL
It couldn’t happen in Africa, and good intentions cannot be generalised. It did happen in North America, of all places, and it shows that even the watchdogs need to be watched.
The SPCA in a place called Prince Rupert were intending to repeat an annual Clam Festival where live clams would slowly be boiled to red-hot death for the sheer fun of it, and to be eaten, of course, contrary to its mission of ‘the prevention of cruelty to animals and promotion of animal welfare.’
Another animal welfare institution, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, objected and threatened with court action, and under the growing pressure the SPCA had to abort the fun day.
Talk about the meaning of the word oxymoron, and it begs the question, I have asked so often before, as to who inspects the inspectors?
In South Africa we had the giraffe-braai and sheep-toss scare. But that was only to solicit for controversial reaction to advertise some farm festival or other. Nothing serious like the Clam Festival.
KUNG-FU MONKEY
By Claire Louw
Marvin is like my child, he screams ‘Maaaa’ at me when I walk past his enclosure, where I pause to scratch his beautiful little face as often as I can. He is the baby Patas Monkey that I had the greatest privilege to hand-rear from the day he was born. He is nearly two and is getting very big, even his features are changing so quickly. He no longer looks like the little, helpless bundle he was, but is a near duplicate of his dad, Chico.
Marvin hurls himself at me when I get a chance to spend some time in his enclosure to play. He screams excitedly and clings on for dear life sitting on my hip and hugging me like a human child. It’s overwhelmingly beautiful and humbling. Our relationship is so trusting and as he grows I hope he stays his affectionate self.
As for his dad, Chico, well, this big boy scares the wits out of me. My motto at work normally is that I’m not scared of any of the birds and animals as I feel they can sense fear. I am rather respectful of them, but when it comes to Chico, he gives me nightmares.
Chico always challenges me through the wire of his enclosure. Yawning wildly to show how BIG his teeth are and kung-fu kicking the wire wherever I’m standing. He-no-lika-me. (Understandably, I was involved in taking his kid away after his wife tried to eat it!) What a horrid person I must be.
On Sunday, 10th September 2006, while I was on a phone call in the baby room, Shena hurried in and scrawled a note down in front of me, it read:
“Chico is out, sitting at the cassowary’s”.
All I heard from the person on the phone was “bla bla bla bla bla”. I hurriedly and hopefully not rudely, ended the call and prepared for what lay ahead – my worst nightmare.
To add to my joys, my ‘better-half’ wasn’t at work. I grabbed a bag of marshmallows and two nets and set off to ‘hell on earth’, on the way phoning Hendrik at home to come and help.
I got to Walter’s ‘space dome’ office, where I found Bridget in front and John behind and Mr Chico on top. Walter then also arrived. All lost for words, we left it up to Chico to decide what to do.
We tried to lure him down into the office with some marshmallows, but no such luck. He took off down the pergola after Debbie who was keeping visitors away from potential danger. He chased along the pergola and turned towards the wallabies and porcupines. Here he paused for five minutes and sussed out this new environment. As quickly as he got there, he was off again in the same direction from which he came. Eventually stopping again at our two Chacma Baboons. All hell broke loose as they fought viciously through the wire for what seemed like eternity. I was scared that he would refer his anger with them onto us or the ignorant visitors that refused to get out of the area.
He eventually lost interest and headed downwards and into the ‘Magic Forest’. Here he encountered our two Rhesus Macaques where more vicious attacks broke out.
Next door to them is baby Benji, our Yellow Baboon. Chico ran in circles on Benji’s roof, scaring the living daylights out of this little boy. Chico lost his aggression and turned terrifying Benji into a game!
Next to Benji’s cage is the intersection of the ‘Hornbills of Africa’. Walter quickly propped the door open, with us all hoping that Chico would run in without thinking. He did just that after doing another round on Benji’s roof and running down to antagonise the horrified little baboon on the ground.
Chico strutted into the spacious intersection with me slamming the door behind him. Thank goodness, he was confined! Now we set about securing the five doors that lead in and out of this intersection.
Walter and I were inside with him, with Bridget, Debbie and John manning the other doors from the outside.
At this point Chico realised he was trapped and started to get agitated. Obviously I was his least favourite person at hand and he strolled towards me. I turned my back on him as a sign of submission so he wouldn’t feel threatened or dominated. I felt two hands on my butt and he shoved me like a schoolyard bully into the gate.
Apparently with mouth open and those huge teeth showing aggressively, he then strolled off again and threw over a dustbin full of rubbish. Walter and I exited through the doors we were manning so we wouldn’t be in further danger. Hendrik then arrived, much to my relief, and we all set about a capture plan.
We decided the safest way was to cut a hole into one of the inside doors and place a trap against the hole. It took about 20 minutes and a lot of coaxing before he reluctantly stepped into the trap. I think we all went “Phew” at the same time.
The trap door was secured and John and Henny lugged our escapee back to the confinement of his sleeping shelter and to his impatiently waiting wife, Little-Lyn.
We then got to inspect the enclosure to find how he had escaped. He had kicked a whole portion of wire loose from the pole, u-nails and all. Unbelievable.
We are so lucky that none of the staff or visitors were injured during this horrific hour. It could so easily have gone the other way. Thank-you to all the staff involved.
With team work we had a good end to a bad day.
Hendrik was now compelled to buy a dart gun, which in my opinion is imperative when keeping big primates in captivity and was long overdue. All that was holding us back was the R7000 to buy one.
We welcome the following new members for September 2006:
Zurab Janelidze
Eveline Schurink
Makole Mupita
Nadine Borchardt
Yolande Arends
Linda Landry
Anne Fuller-Good
Kim Worrall
Caren Kloos
Angela Allan
Julia Kearns
Danielle Crida
Vickie Gibson
Sharlene L Dawson
Jing Yang
Alice Kotze
Alice Kramer
Zephney Kennedy
Kihmann Family
Judy Yakir
Margie Bassett
Daniela De Bruin
Ricardo Brink
Claire Oakley/De Beer
Sarah Roodt
Johan van der Berg Tony & Annatjie Cronje
Kerry Morkel
Mrs Simone Hunter Moses OH
Sandra Poles
Bernice Mallet
Gloria Thornhill-Fisher
and October 2006:
Jochen Wuestefeld
Jacqueline Low
Diane Michelson
Jonathon Berman
Katrien Laughton
Mrs Gemma Franks
Zhengda Zhou
Kati Francis
Brian Miller
Liz Wright
Philippa Newell
Sherri Ekermans
Elaine Henn
Brendon Harris
Annette Sim
Dalene Morris
Helen Young
Malcolm Harris
Riechert
Cobus Rossouw
Ashraf Mahomed
Anton Snyman
Kathy Stephenson
Raymond Martin
Audrey Theunissen
Eileen Felix
Marlies Kappers
V Delbridge
Wiley Family
Welby-Solomon Family
Felicity Lautenbach
Mr Redmond
Anthea Katzeff
Marie N Lambinon
Linda Buys
Roxanne & Shaun Holman
Martin Keller
World of Birds extends its sincere thanks to the following members for donations received during September 2006:
Mrs Pam Marten
Mrs ML Thompson
Shirley Furlong
Cdr. D Gordon-Davis
Mrs M Laubscher
Franziska & Hansjuerg Saager
A Leslie
Bobby Crow
Mr John Bewsey
Ms Sally J Louw
Joan Van Rensburg
Two-A-Day Group Ltd.
Vredebest Farm
and October 2006:
Mrs ML Thompson
Ms Sally J Louw
Jim & Janet Russell
Cdr. D Gordon-Davis
Ms Annelise Crean
A Leslie
Bobby Crow
Shirley Furlong
Mr & Mrs R Gadd
Mr John Bewsey
The Palmer Family
Mrs VF & TA Moore
Mr Heinz Preusker
Mr & Mrs Bossard
Hannetjie Loedolff
Mrs Pam Marten
Anonymous
Mrs Doreen Van Den Berg
Two-A-Day Group Ltd.
Veronica Macklin
International Womens Club
Mrs EW Roux
Mrs Mia Conzett
Bequest: Estate Late JC Uys
World of Birds’ continued growth and development is due in large part to the generosity of such wonderful people and organisations, and we are very grateful for all their assistance
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